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SEYMOUR  DURST 


When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  hook 

Because  it  has  heen  said 
"Ever'thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  hook." 

Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
^^^H  Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


XXV. 


PAPERS 


RELATING  TO  THE 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES 


Ipmm  of  litra-f^nrk. 


1703-1757. 


Digitized  by  tlie  Internet  Arcliive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/papersrelatingtoOOnewy_0 


LORD  CORNBURY  TO  SEC.  HODGES. 

[Lond.  Doc.  XVI.] 

The  Trade  of  this  Province  consists  chiefly  in  flower  and  biskett 
which  is  sent  to  the  Islands  in  the  West  Indians,  in  return  they 
bring  Rum,  Sugar,  Molasses,  and  some  times  pieces  of  Eight  and 
Cocoa  and  Logwood  ;  to  Europe  Our  people  send  Skins  of  all 
sorts.  Whale  Oyle  and  Bone,  which  are  the  only  Commodity  this 
Country  sends  to  Europe,  of  its  own  produce  as  yet,  but  if  they 
were  encouraged,  the  people  of  this  Province  would  be  able  to 
supply  England  with  all  manner  of  Naval  Stores,  Pitch,  Tarr, 
Rosine,  Turpentine,  Flax  Hemp  Masts  and  Timber  of  all  Kinds 
and  Sizes,  and  very  good  in  their  Kinds.  .... 

When  I  said  on  the  other  side  that  if  the  people  were  encouraged 
they  would  be  able  to  supply  England  with  all  manner  of  Naval 
Stores,  I  mean  (by  encouraged)  if  they  had  a  certain  sure  market 
for  their  produce  ;  for  as  the  Case  now  stands,  they  apiy  their 
land  to  Corn  of  all  sorts,  but  chiefly  Wheat,  because  t^ey  have  a 
certain  Market  for  that  in  the  Islands,  but  if  they  had  a  sure  mar- 
ket for  Hemp  and  flax  in  England,  they  would  greedily  fall  to  the 
planting  of  hemp  &  Flax,  because  they  want  Commoditys,  to 
make  returns  to  England  for  the  goods  they  take  from  thence. 
Besides  if  part  of  their  lands  were  imployed  to  those  uses,  their 
Corn  would  fetch  a  better  price  ;  besides  the  want  of  wherewithal] 
to  make  returns  for  England,  sets  mens  witts  at  work,  and  that 
has  put  them  upon  a  Trade  which  I  am  sure  will  hurt  England  in 
a  little  time  ;  for  I  am  well  informed,  that  upon  Long  Islan  !  and 
Connecticut,  they  are  setting  up  a  Woollen  Manufacture,  and  I 
myself  have  seen  Serge  made  upon  Long  Island  that  any  man  may 
wear.    Now  if  they  begin  to  make  Serge,  they  will  in  time  make 


712 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  OF 


Course  Cloth,  and  then  fine  j  we  have  as  good  fullers  earth  and 
tobacco  pipe  clay  in  this  Province,  as  any  in  the  world  ;  how  farr 
this  will  be  for  the  service  of  England  I  submit  to  better  Judg- 
ments ;  but  however  I  hope  I  may  be  pardoned,  if  I  declare  my 
opinion  to  be,  that  all  these  Colloneys,  which  are  but  twigs 
belonging  to  the  Main  Tree  (England)  ought  to  be  Kept  entirely 
dependent  upon  &  subservient  to  England,  and  that  can  never  be 
if  they  are  suffered  to  goe  on  in  the  notions  they  have,  that  as 
they  are  Englishmen,  soe  they  may  set  up  the  same  manufactures 
here  as  people  may  do  in  England  ;  for  the  consequence  will  be 
that  if  once  they  can  see  they  can  cloath  themselves,  not  only 
comfortably  but  handsomely  too,  without  the  help  of  England, 
they  who  are  already  not  very  fond  of  submitting  to  Government 
would  soon  think  of  putting  in  Execution  designs  they  had  long 
harbourd  in  their  breasts  This  will  not  seem  strange  when  you 
consider  what  sort  of  people  this  Country  is  inhabited  by. 


CALEB  HEATHCOTE  TO  THE  BOARD  OF  TRADE, 
3  AUG.  1708. 

[Lond.  Doc.  XVII.] 

My  Lords — This  comes  chiefly  to  ask  pardon  for  all  the  trouble 
I  have  given  your  Lordships  in  my  severall  letters  relating  to  the 
Naval  Stores.  What  I  aimed  at  chiefly  therein  was  the  service  of 
my  Nation  &  I  do  assure  yo^  Lordships  (notwithstand?  I  may  have 
been  otherwise  represented)  is  very  dear  to  me.  And  what  in  the 
first  place  I  aimed  at  by  my  proposals  was,  to  have  diverted  the 
Americans  from  goeing  on  with  their  linen  and  Woollen  Manufac- 
tory s  &  to  have  turn'd  their  thoughts  on  such  things  as  might  be 
usefull  &  beneficiall  to  Great  Britain.  They  are  already  so  far 
advanced  in  their  Manufactoryes  that  3|4  of  y^  linen  and  Woollen 
they  use,  is  made  amongst  'em ;  espetially  the  Courser  sort,  &  if 
some  speedy  and  effectual  ways  are  not  found  to  putt  a  stop  to  it, 
they  will  carry  it  on  a  great  deal  further,  &  perhaps  in  time  very 
much  to  the  prejudice  of  our  manufactorys  at  home.  I  have  been 
discoursed  with  by  some  to  assist  them  in  setting  up  a  manufactory 


OF  THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW- YORK. 


713 


of  fine  stuflfs,  but  I  have  for  the  present  putt  it  by,  &  will  for  my 
own  part  never  be  concerned  in  y*  nor  any  thing  of  y*  nature,  but 
use  all  the  little  intrest  &  skill  I  have  to  prevent  it.  * 


GOV.  HUNTER  TO  THE  ROARD  OF  TRADE.  12  NOV^  1715 

[Lond.  Doc.  XX.] 

The  Trade  of  this  Province  has  consisted  chiefly  of  Provisions, 
We  may  reckon  it  considerably  [decreased]  since  the  late  Peace, 
by  reason  that  the  Spaniards  do  not  permit  our  Vessels  to  come 
on  their  coasts,  as  they  did  formerly,  having  lately,  as  I  am  well 
informed  sent  several  ships,  some  of  which  are  French  with 
Spanish  Commiss"^  to  Guard  their  Coasts  from  that  Traffick, 
which  formerly  we  had  by  private  communications  with  them ; 
and  these  Provinces  raising  much  more  than  serves  for  their  own 
consumption  and  that  of  the  West  Indies,  I  can  think  of  no  solid 
way  of  prevent?  the  total  decay  of  Trade,  and  consequently  the 
ruin  of  the  Provinces  but  by  setting  on  foot  and  carrying  vigor- 
ously the  production  of  Naval  Stores,  and  if  hemp  were  not  so 
bulky  a  commodity,  we  know  experimentally  that  our  swamps 
and  low  land  will  produce  as  good  of  that  kind  as  any  in  the 
world.  .......... 

The  People  of  this  Town  (N.  York)  and  Albany,  which  make 
a  great  part  of  the  Province  wear  no  clothing  of  their  own  manu- 
facture, but  if  the  letters  mentioned  in  your  Lordships  mean  the 
Planters  and  poorer  sort  of  Country  people,  the  computat"  is 
rather  less  than  more,  but  the  several  sorts  are  Coarser  than  what 
come  from  England  ;  I  know  no  way  to  prevent  it,  than  by 
encouraging  them  to  go  on  some  manufactures  that  may  be  useful 
to  England  &  beneficial  to  themselves,  for  few  that  are  able  to  go 
to  the  expense  of  English  manufacture  do  wear  home  spun,  and  a 
law  to  oblige  such  as  are  not  able  to  go  to  that  expense  to  do  it, 
under  penalties,  would  be  equivalent  to  a  law  to  compel  them  to 

1  Col.  Heathcote  the  writer  of  the  above,  was  Member  of  the  Council, 
and  an  applicant  for  a  contract  to  supply  the  Crown  with  Naval  Stores  &  some 
small  sloops  of  War  for  coasting  purposes. 


714 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  OF 


go  naked,  for  your  Lordships  well  know  that  Goods  at  100  per 
cent  advance  are  reckoned  cheap  here,  nor  does  it  consist  with  my 
knowledge  that  ever  any  home  spun  was  sold  in  the  shops. 


CADWALLADER  GOLDEN  ON  THE  TRADE  OF 
NEW  YORK;  1723 

[Lond.  Doc.  XXII.] 

The  Trade  of  New  York  is  chiefly  to  Britain  &  the  British 
Plantations  in  the  West  Indies  ;  besides  which  we  have  our  wines 
from  Madeira  &  a  considerable  Trade  with  Curacoa ;  some  with 
Surinam  &  some  little  private  Trade  with  the  French  Islands — 
The  Trade  to  the  West  Indies  is  wholly  to  the  advantage  of  this 
Province  the  Balance  being  every  where  in  our  favor  so  that  we 
have  money  remitted  from  every  place  we  trade  with,  but  chiefly 
from  Curacoa  and  Jamaica,  these  places  taking. off"  great  quantitys 
of  Flower  for  the  Spanish  Trade  The  Trade  to  Barbadoes  is 
more  considerable  than  to  any  one  of  the  rest  Provisions  being 
carried  thither  not  only  for  the  supply  of  that  Island  but  likewise 
for  Transportation  to  the  Spanish  coast  while  the  Assiento  Factors 
were  settled  there,  &  to  the  French  Islands,  so  that  tho'  we 
consume  more  of  the  produce  of  that  Island  in  Rum  Sugar  & 
Molasses  than  of  all  the  others  put  together  we  have  money 
frequently  remitted  from  thence  on  Bills  of  Exchange  for  England 
The  Trade  to  Madeira  is  to  our  Loss  this  Province  consuming  more 
wine  from  thence,  than  can  be  purchased  with  our  commodities 
which  obliges  the  Merchant  either  to  send  money  or  to  pay  the 
Ballance  of  Bills  of  Exchange  for  London  But  whatever  advan- 
tages we  have  by  the  West  India  Trade  w^e  are  so  hard  put  to  it 
to  make  even  with  England,  that  the  money  imported  for  the  West 
Indies  seldom  continues  six  months  in  the  Province,  before  it  is 
remitted  for  England  The  Current  Cash  being  wholly  in  the 
Paper  Bills  of  this  Province  and  a  few  Lyon  Dollars 

In  the  time  of  the  last  war  w^hen  the  great  scarcity  of  provisions 
happened  in  France,  we  had  a  very  profitable  Trade  with  Lisbon 
for  wheat,  by  which  several  have  made  estates  but  that  Trade 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW- YORK. 


715 


was  of  no  long  duration,  for  the  Distance  made  the  carriage  so 
chargeable  being  the  Ships  were  obliged  to  return  empty,  that  the 
Trade  could  not  be  carried  on  any  Longer  without  Loss,  after 
wheat  fell  to  its  usual  price,  tho  the  Wheat  of  America,  be  of 
greater  value  there  than  the  European,  &  we  cannot  hope  for  a 
return  of  this  Trade  unless  such  a  general  scarcity  of  Provisions 
happens  over  Europe  as  did  then 

The  Staple  Commodity  of  the  Province  is  Flower  &  Bread 
which  is  sent  to  all  Paris  oi  the  West  Indies  we  are  allowed  to 
trade  with.  Besides  Wheat,  Pipe  staves  and  a  Utile  Bees  Wax  to 
Madeira,  We  send  likewise  a  considerable  quantity  of  Pork,  Bacon, 
Hogshead  Staves,  some  Beef  Butter  &  a  few  Candles  to  the  West 
Indies.  The  great  Bulk  of  our  commoditys  in  proportion  to  their 
value,  is  the  reason  we  cannot  Trade  directly  to  the  Spanish 
Coast  as  they  do  from  the  West  Indies  it  being  necessary  to 
employ  armed  vessels  to  prevent  Injuries  from  the  Spaniards  & 
Pirates,  but  we  sometimes  send  vessels  into  the  Bays  of  Campe- 
chie  &  Honduras,  to  purchase  Logwood  &  we  have  it  imported 
from  thence  frequently  by  Strangers.  This  commodity  is  entirely 
exported  again  for  England 

From  Barbadoes  we  import  Rum,  Molasses  &  Sugar  which  are 
all  consumed  in  the  Province,  from  Antigua  &  the  adjacent  Islands, 
Molassus  &  some  Rum  for  the  country  consumption,  &  sometimes 
sugar  &  Cotton  for  exportation  to  England,  From  Jamaica  some 
Rum,  Molasses  &  the  best  Muscovada  Sugar  for  the  consumption 
of  the  Country  &  sometimes  Logwood,  but  the  principal  returns 
from  thence  are  in  Spanish  money,  From  Curacoa  the  returns  are 
in  Spanish  money  &  Cocoa  which  is  exported  again  for  England 
Surinam  returns  nothing  besides  Molasses  &  a  little  Rum  which 
are  consumed  in  the  Province,  in  the  time  of  W.jr  when  the 
English  could  not  trade  with  the  French  there  was  some  conside- 
rable Trade  to  the  Island  St  Thomas  The  Danes  from  thence 
supplying  the  French  with  our  Provisions.  We  have  Cotton  from 
thence  &  now  from  the  French  Islands  we  sometimes  have  Cocoa 
Sugar  &  Indigo,  the  far  greatest  part  of  which  are  exported  again 
from  England 

Several  of  our  Neighbours  upon  the  Continent  cannot  well 


716 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  OF 


subsist  without  our  assistance  as  to  Provisions  for  we  yearly  send 
Wheat  and  Flower  to  Boston  &  Road  Island  as  well  as  to  South 
Carolina  tho  not  in  any  great  quantity  Pensylvania  only  rivals  us 
in  our  Trade  to  the  West  Indies,  but  they  have  not  that  Credit  in 
their  Manufactures  that  this  Province  has 

Besides  our  Trade  by  Sea  this  Province  has  a  very  considerable 
inland  Trade  with  the  Indians  for  Beaver  other  Furrs  &  Peltry  & 
with  the  French  of  Canada  for  Beaver,  all  which  are  purchased 
with  English  Commodity  except  a  small  quantity  of  Rum.  As 
this  Trade  is  very  profitable  to  England,  so  this  Province  has  a 
more  considerable  share  in  it  than  any  other  in  His  Matys 
Dominions  &  is  the  only  Province  that  can  Rival  &  I  beleive 
out  do  the  French,  being  the  most  advantagiously  situated  for  this 
Trade  of  any  part  of  America 

This  Government  (since  the  arrival  of  the  present  Governor) 
considering  that  the  French  of  Canada  buy  yearly  of  the  people 
of  this  Province  great  quantitys  of  English  Goods  in  English 
Cloaths  fit  for  the  Indians  use,  &  being  convinced  that  the  French 
cannot  without  great  difficulty  and  expence  import  these  goods 
directly  from  Europe  &  that  without  them  they  cannot  carry  on 
their  trade  with  the  Indians  exclusive  of  the  English :  did  by 
a  severe  Law  prohibit  the  selling  of  any  Indian  Goods  to  the 
French  At  the  same  time  considerable  encouragement  was  given 
to  a  number  of  young  men  to  go  into  the  Indian  Country  as  far 
as  the  Pass  between  the  great  Lakes  at  the  Falls  of  lagara,  to 
learn  the  language  of  these  Indians,  and  to  renew  the  Trade  with 
the  far  Indians  which  our  Traders  have  disused  ever  since  the 
beginning  of  the  Wars  with  France  This  they  could  not  be 
persuaded  to  undertake  of  themselves  having  of  late  fallen  into 
the  more  safe  and  less  toilsome  Trade  with  the  French  tho  less 
profitable 

The  Government  has  pursued  this  with  a  good  deal  of  diligence 
notwithstanding  many  difficultys  put  in  the  way  by  the  merchants 
who  trade  with  the  French  &  these  measures  are  likely  to  have  a 
very  happy  effect,  to  strengthen  the  British  Interest  on  this  con- 
tinent. For  if  the  Indians  shall  be  once  convinced  that  the 
French  cannot  supply  them  with  the  Goods  they  want  or  that 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW- YORK. 


717 


they  are  furnished  much  cheaper  by  the  English  it  will  take  off 
the  dependance  of  the  remote  Indians  on  the  French,  which  has 
been  increasing  of  late  to  the  Great  Danger  of  this  province,  in 
case  of  a  War,  as  well  as  to  the  loss  of  its  trade  in  time  of  Peace, 
What  is  already  done  has  had  so  good  effect,  that  but  a  few  days 
ago  80  Indian  Men,  besides  Women  &  Children  arrived  at  Albany 
from  the  furthest  nation  who  live  about  the  place  called  by  the 
French  Missilimakenak  1200  miles  distant  from  Albany,  they 
could  not  be  stopt  in  their  design  by  all  the  art  of  the  French 
who  in  several  places  endeavored  to  divert  them  When  they 
came  to  Albany  they  entered  into  a  League  of  Friendship  with 
this  Government  &  desired  to  be  added  to  the  Six  Nations  under 
this  Government,  and  that  they  may  be  esteemed  the  seventh 
Nation  under  the  English  Protection — The  Language  of  those  ] 
Indians  is  not  understood  by  any  Christian  among  us,  &  is  the  j 
first  time  we  have  had  any  League  with  them — It  is  the  opinion  | 
of  many  here  that  by  the  arts  of  Peace,  with  the  assistance  of  a 
less  sum  than  a  tenth  of  what  the  expedition  to  Canada  cost  the 
Nation  the  settlement  of  Canada  would  be  rendered  useless  to  the 
French,  and  that  they  would  be  obliged  to  abandon  it 

It  is  evident  that  the  whole  Industry,  Frugality  &  Trade  of 
this  Province  is  employed  to  ballance  the  Trade  with  England  & 
to  pay  for  the  goods  they  yearly  import  from  thence,  &  therefore 
it  is  undoubtedly  y^  Interest  of  Britain  to  encourage  the  Trade 
of  this  Province  as  much  as  possible  :  For  if  the  people  here 
could  remit  by  any  method  more  money  or  Goods  to  England 
they  would  proportionably  consume  more  of  the  English  Manu- 
factures. We  have  no  reason  to  doubt  that  it  is  truly  the  desire 
of  our  mother  country  to  make  her  colonys  flourish — The  only 
thing  in  question,  is  by  what  methods  the  produce  and  Trade  of 
the  Plantations  can  be  best  encouraged  wuth  the  greatest  advan 
tage  to  England.  It  may  be  that  many  in  England  are  not  so 
well  informed  what  their  Colonys  are  able  to  produce  &  by  what 
means  the  people  in  the  colonys  will  most  effectually  be  put  upon 
such  Manufacture  or  Trade  as  shall  be  most  beneficial  to  the 
Kingdom  for  the  Colonys  differ  very  much  in  the  soil  &  inclina- 
tions &  humour  of  the  Inhabitants 


718 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  Or 


It  seems  to  be  the  desire  of  the  Government  of  Great  Britain 
that  Kingdom  be  supplyed  with  naval  Stores  from  their  Plan- 
tations, that  they  may  not  rely  so  much  on  the  Pleasure  of  foreign 
Princes  for  what  is  so  necessary  to  y^  Strength  &  Wealth  of  y® 
Kingdom.  Towards  this  end  none  of  His  Malys  Provinces  can  be 
more  useful  than  this  &  perhaps  no  country  in  the  World  is 
naturally  better  fitted  for  such  produce  or  manufactures.  There 
is  not  any  where  a  richer  Soil  for  producing  Hemp  than  in  many 
places  in  this  Province — Such  Land  as  has  every  year  borne  grain 
for  above  60  years  together  without  dunging  in  which  I  believe 
this  excells  all  the  other  Provinces  in  North  America.  Our  barren 
Sandy  Lands  bear  great  quantitys  of  Pitch  pine  for  Tar,  The 
Northern  parts  of  the  Province  large  white  Pines*  for  Masts :  & 
for  iron  we  have  great  plenty  of  that  Oar  in  many  places  close  by 
the  Bank  of  the  River,  where  Ships  of  3  or  400  Tuns  may  lay 
their  sides  the  ground  every  where  covered  with  wood  for  the 
Furnace  and  no  want  of  Water  Streams  any  where  for  the  Forge 

The  reasons  which  have  hindred  the  Inhabitants  from  going 
upon  any  of  these  manufactures  are  the  difficulty  with  which  peo- 
ple can  be  persuaded  to  leave  the  common  means  by  which  they 
have  supported  their  familys  to  adventure  upon  any  new  methods 
which  are  always  expensive  in  the  beginning  &  uncertain  in  the 
profits  they  yield  This  reasoning  has  the  more  force  because  few 
of  the  Planters  have  any  stock  of  money  by  them  but  depend 
yearly  on  the  Produce  of  their  Farms  for  the  support  of  their 
Families.  North  America  containing  a  vast  Tract  of  Land  every 
one  is  able  to  procure  a  piece  of  land  at  an  inconsiderable  rate 
and  therefore  is  fond  to  set  up  for  himself  rather  than  work  for 
hire  This  makes  labor  continue  very  dear  a  common  laborer 
usually  earning  3  shillings  by  the  day  &  consequently  any  under- 
taking which  requires  many  hands  must  be  undertaken  at  a  far 
greater  expense  than  in  Europe  &  too  often  this  charge  only  over- 
hallances  all  the  advantages  which  the  country  naturally  affords  & 

•  Neither  the  Pitch  Pine  nor  White  Pine  are  properly  Pines  according  to  the 
Botanists  but  are  put  by  them  under  the  class  of  ye  Larix  the  White  Pine  being 
called  by  Tournefourt — Larix  orientalis  fructu  rotundiori  obtuso  Si.  by  J  Bonhim. 
Ccdrus  magna,  Sive  Libani,  Conifera.  I  have  not  seen  the  true  Pine  to  the  North- 
ward of  Marylanci. 


THE  PROV  INCE  OF  NEW- YORK. 


119 


is  the  hardest  to  overcome  to  make  any  commodity  or  Manufacture 
profitable  which  can  be  raised  in  Europe 

The  Merchant  will  not  readily  adventure  his  Stock  in  raising 
Hemp  or  making  Tar  being  unacquainted  with  husbandry  and 
will  more  difficultly  be  induced,  because  he  knows  the  Farmer  does 
not  gain  yearly  half  the  common  Interest  of  the  value  of  his  land 
&  stock  after  he  has  deducted  the  charge  of  labor 

One  of  the  methods  already  thought  of  for  making  this  Province 
more  useful  as  to  Naval  Stores,  is  a  severe  prohibition  of  cutting 
any  white  Pines  fit  for  Masts,  No  doubt  the  destroying  of  so 
necessary  a  commodity  ought  to  be  prevented  &  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  frame  a  Law  for  that  end  with  many  exceptions  or  Limi- 
tations which  could  be  of  much  use  on  the  other  hand  when  the 
literal  Breach  of  the  Law  becor^es  generally  unavoidable  it  must 
loose  its  force.  The  Lands  of  this  Province  are  granted  upon 
condition  that  the  Grantee  within  three  years  after  the  Grant 
effectually  cultivate  three  acres  for  every  fifty  granted  &  it  will 
not  be  supposed  that  it  is  the  intent  of  the  Law  to  put  a  stop  to 
cultivating  the  Land  which  however  cannot  be  done  without 
destroying  the  Timber  that  grows  upon  it  One  at  first  is  ready 
to  fear  that  the  poor  Planter  is  under  a  sad  Dilemma.  If  he  does 
not  cultivate  he  cannot  maintain  his  family  &  he  must  loose  his 
Land  ;  if  he  does  cultivate,  he  cuts  down  Trees,  for  which  he  is 
in  danger  of  being  undone  by  prosecution  &  fines — The  inhabitants 
cannot  build  Houses  without  pine  for  boards  &  covering,  nor  send 
Vessels  to  sea.  without  masts.  It  cannot  surely  be  the  intent  of 
the  Legislature  to  put  the  inhabitants  under  such  extreem  hard- 
ships by  denying  us  necessary  timber  while  we  live  in  the  midst 
of  such  Forests  as  cannot  in  many  ages  be  destroyed — And  the 
more  that  the  King  for  whose  use  these  Trees  are  reserved,  does 
not  nor  has  not  made  use  of  one  Tree  for  many  years  in  this 
Province 

Nor  need  we  mind  the  apprehensions  of  some  who  tell  us  of  what 
ill  consequence  it  may  be  if  the  People  of  the  Plantations  should 
apprehend  that  the  people  of  England  design  to  cut  them  off 
from  the  common  body  of  English  subjects  by  denying  them  the 
fundamental  English  Privilege  of  being  tryed  by  their  country 


720 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  OF 


Our  mother  country  the  nursery  of  Liberty  will  never  give  up  her 
children  to  the  ravenous  appetites  of  any  one  man  nor  will  they 
loose  the  surest  tye  she  has  upon  the  affections  of  the  people  in 
the  Plantations  especially  in  a  Frontier  Province  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  so  potent  &  cunning  a  nation  as  the  French  are  where 
the  native  English  are  less  in  number  than  Foreigners  French  & 
Dutch  who  at  present  think  themselves  happy  under  the  English 
liberty,  for  the  maxim  that  free  subjects  are  more  useful  to  their 
Prince  than  Slaves  will  be  found  as  true  in  America  as  in  Europe. 

But  suppose  the  People  could  be  restrained  from  cutting  any 
White  Pines  it  w^ill  not  answer  the  end  for  which  it  was  designed. 
For  if  the  King  were  to  send  People  to  cut  down  Masts  in  the 
place  where  they  grow  and  to  transport  them  to  such  places  where 
they  can  be  carried  by  water  the  charge  will  amount  to  treble 
ihe  sum  they  might  be  bought  for  at  New  York,  if  the  carrying 
of  them  were  left  to  the  Inhabitants  themselves  The  King  in 
this  case  must  have  a  great  many  hands  &  overseers  in  constant 
pay  He  must  buy  horses.  Oxen  &  Carriages  &  maintain  them  or 
hire  them  after  the  most  chargeable  manner — whereas  the  country 
people  carry  these  Trees  in  the  Winter  upon  the  Snow  &  Ice 
when  they  cannot  labor  in  the  ground  &  are  glad  to  make  a  little 
profit  at  any  rate 

To  balance  any  hard  ship  which  the  Colony s  mwy  apprehend 
themselves  to  be  under  The  British  Parliament  has  given  such 
rewards  &  encouragements  to  their  Plantations  as  no  other  nation 
has  done  the  like  for  the  manufacture  of  Hemp  &  Tar.  The 
benefit  of  this  however  does  not  so  immediately  reach  the  Planters 
as  the  before  mentioned  penalties  affect  him.  There  is  a  considera- 
ble difference  between  encourageing  the  exportation  &  sale  of  a 
commodity  which  is  already  the  manufacture  of  the  country  & 
engageing  people  to  go  upon  a  new  commodity  or  manufacture  in 
the  first  it  is  sufficient  to  give  the  merchant  encouragement  to  buy 
&  export  in  the  other  the  encouragement  would  be  more  effectual 
if  it  were  immediately  applied  to  the  persons  who  were  to  begin 
the  Manufacture  &  run  the  whole  risque  of  its  turning  to  advantage 
or  not 

Now  I  shall  mention  the  means  which  I  think  most  probable  to 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW  YORK.  721 

make  this  Province  useful  in  producing  Naval  Stores  &  which 
may  with  the  least  difficulty  be  put  in  practice— In  the  first  place, 
to  prevent  the  decay  of  Timber,  fit  for  masts  every  one  that  im- 
proves Lands  on  which  white  Pines  grow  ought  to  be  obliged  to 
plant  white  Pines  at  proper  distances  all  round  his  fields  &  enclosures 
when  any  of  these  shall  dye  or  be  cut  down  to  put  another  in  its 
place  and  some  officer  be  obliged  to  see  this  punctually  observed  o 
and  for  the  encouragement  of  such  as  shall  raise  Hemp  that  the 
Receiver  General  be  directed  to  receive  Hemp  when  offered  in 
lieu  of  money  for  the  Kings  Quit  Rents  at  an  encouraging  price 
which  Price  the  Receiver  General  ought  to  publish,  pursuant  to 
the  directions  he  shall  receive  from  England — The  Commissioners 
of  the  Navy  to  appoint  a  Factor  at  New  York  whose  credit  must 
be  punctually  kept  up  to  purchase  Masts  &  Tar,  made  according 
to  the  direction  of  the  Act  of  Parliament,  who  shall  yearly  pub- 
lish the  prices  he  will  give  for  any  of  these  commoditys  &  the 
Government  to  save  themselves  the  Benefit  of  the  Bounty.  For 
some  years  the  price  to  be  allowed  be  above  the  intrinsic  value  of 
the  commoditys,  the  loss  of  which  to  be  defrayed  by  some  publick 
fund,  which  I  believe  without  great  difficulty  may  be  found  &  if 
these  proposals  be  thought  practicable  &  useful  shall  be  the  sub-  ? 
ject  of  another  paper. 

The  Parliament  appears  desirous  to  encourage  the  importation  i 
of  materials  for  dyeing  which  hitherto  have  been  only  brought-, 
from  Foreign  Parts  I  have  seen  fine  Reds  and  Yellows  &  good  i 
black  (the  Country  people  say  they  have  seen  all  colors)  died  by ; 
the  Indians  with  some  roots  &  weeds,  which  grow  plentifully  in 
the  country.    As  the  Indians  know  very  little  of  the  art  of  dying 
from  what  I  have  seen  of  their  Reds  I  am  apt  to  beleive  the  root 
they  dye  that  color  with,  may  be  very  valuable  &  we  may  find 
some  commoditys  which  at  present  are  not  in  the  Least  thought 
of — When  I  go  next  to  the  Indians  country  I  intend  to  procure 
some  quantity  of  them  sufficient  to  make  a  few  experiments 


46 


722 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  OF 


GOVR  COSBY  TO  THE  BOARD  OF  TRADE. 

[Lond.  Doc.  XXIV.] 

New  York  18th  Deer  1732. 
My  Lords — T  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  Lordpps  to  me 
of  the  16th  of  June  last,  and  in  pursuance  of  His  Maty^  directions 
to  your  LordPP''  Board  have  made  the  strictest  inquiry  in  respect 
to  manufactures  sett  up,  &  Trade  carryed  on  in  this  Province  of 
New  York  &  can  discover  none  that  may  in  any  way  affect  or 
prejudice  the  Trade,  Navigation  &  Manufactures  of  the  Kincrdom 
of  Great  Britain.  As  to  the  Laws  made  here,  I  beg  leave  to  refer 
your  Lordpps  to  the  acts  which  I  shall  transmitt  to  your  LordPP" 
so  soon  asthey  are  engrossed  which  I  fear  I  cannot  have  time  to  have 
done  to  send  by  this  opportunity.  The  inhabitants  here  are  more  lazy 
&  inactive  than  the  world  generally  supposes,  &  their  manufacture 
extends  no  farther  than  what  is  consumed  in  their  own  famillys, 
a  few  coarse  Lindsey  Woolseys  for  clothing,  and  linen  for  their 
own  wear  :  the  hatt  makeing  trade  here  seemed  to  promise  to 
make  the  greatest  advances  to  the  prejudice  of  Great  Britain,  but 
that  the  Parliament  having  already  taken  into  their  consideration, 
needs  no  more  mention,  whatever  new  springs  up  that  may  in  the 
least  affect  or  prejudice  the  Trade  or  Navigation  of  Great  Brittain, 
shall  be  narrowly  inspected  &  annual  returns  of  your  LordPP^ 
querries  constantly  sent  In  the  mean  time  I  have  the  honor  to 
be  with  the  greatest  respect  imaginable  My  Lords 
Your  Lordpps  most  obedient 

&  most  humble  servant 

(signed)  W.  Cosby, 


SAME  TO  THE  SAME  6  DEC.  1734. 

[Lond.  Doc.  XXV.] 

Wheat  is  the  staple  of  this  Province,  and  tho'  that  comodity 
seem  literally  to  interfere  with  the  product  of  Great  Britain,  it 
do's  not  so  in  fact,  for  it's  generally  manufactur'd  into  flower  and 
bread,  and  sent  to  supply  the  sugar  Collonys,  and  whenever  a 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW-YORK. 


723 


markett  in  Spain  Portugal  or  other  parts  of  Europe  has  encour- 
aged the  sending  it  thither  in  Grain,  the  adventurers  have  often 
suffered  by  the  undertaking,  for  at  this  remote  distance,  the  in- 
telligence of  a  demand  reaches  us  so  late,  that  the  marketts  are 
supplyed  before  our  vessells  come  there,  and  even  if  it  were  other- 
wise our  merchants  lye  under  vast  and  certain  disadvantages  besides 
for  freight  of  wheat  from  hence  in  time  of  warr  was  at  least  two 
shillings  and  six  pence,  and  in  time  of  peace  is  eighteen  pence 
sterling  per  bushell,  and  by  the  length  of  the  passage  it  often 
growls  musty,  at  least  cannot  come  so  fresh  to  markett  as  from 
Great  Britain  ;  whence  freights  (as  it's  said)  are  not  above  one 
quarter  part  of  what  they  are  here. 

The  main  bent  of  our  farmers  is  to  raise  wheat,  and  they  are 
like  to  remain  in  that  way  until  the  price  of  it  becomes  so  low, 
that  necessity  puts  upon  some  other  way  of  Cultivation  ;  which 
in  process  of  time  is  like  to  happen,  because  the  Sugar  Islands 
cannot  increase  in  the  proportion  which  the  Northern  Collonys 
do,  and  whether  some  other  encouragement  may  bring  them  over 
sooner  I  cannot  affirm. 

In  this  Collony  are  a  great  many  lands  extream  fit  for  hemp, 
and  there  is  not  one  farm  in  it  but  has  land  proper  to  raise  flax  ;  but 
little  more  of  either  is  raised  than  what  is  for  private  use,  the 
former  they  apprehend  to  require  more  hands  than  they  have  to 
spare,  and  labour  is  still  so  dear  that  they  cannot  afford  to  hire 
people  for  that  purpose.  Nor  do  they  (as  I  believe)  well  under- 
stand how  to  rost  [rot  ?]  and  dress  it. 

Tarr  Pitch  and  Turpentine  may  be  got  here,  but  more  plentifully 
in  some  of  the  other  Northern  Collonys,  in  greater  quantitys  than 
can  be  made  use  of  by  the  Navy  or  Nation  of  Great  Britain,  if 
the  price  at  home  will  encourage  it,  which  I  am  informed  it  has 
not  done  for  several  years  past,  notwithstanding  the  bounty  allowed 
on  the  importation. 

I  am  told  your  Lordships  formerly  sent  hither  the  method  used 
in  Russia  for  making  of  Tar  and  that  upon  tryal  thereof  it  was 
found  not  to  answer  here,  which  is  attributed  more  to  the  difference 
of  the  nature  of  their  pitch  pine  and  that  of  this  Country,  than 
to  the  unskillfulness  of  our  people. 


724 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  OF 


In  the  Jerseys  is  an  extraordinary'  rich  mine  and  some  others 
ure  discovered  there  which  afford  a  good  prospect  but  in  this  Pro- 
vince none  have  as  yet  been  discovered,  tho'  a  good  deal  of  money 
has  been  expended  in  search  of  them. 

Some  lead  mines  have  been  found  in  several  parts  of  this  Collony 
but  they  hitherto  not  by  farr  quitted  the  cost  expended  on  them, 
and  if  they  happen  to  prove  good,  I  believe  the  proprietor  -will 
rather  send  it  home  in  Oar  than  be  at  the  charge  to  erect  smelt 
houses  here. 

We  have  a  great  many  Iron  mines  both  of  the  bogg,  and  of  the 
Mountain  Oar  but  as  yet  no  Iron  Work  is  set  up  in  this  province 
if  any  encouragement  was  given  upon  the  importing  of  it  in  Piggs 
and  Bars,  at  least  that  it  might  be  free  of  dutys,  It  is  very  pro- 
bable that  in  a  few  years  the  Nation  might  be  amply  supplyed 
from  her  own  Plantations  and  it  is  evident  that  the  whole  amount 
thereof  w^o'd  be  paid  in  the  manufactures  of  Great  Britain,  who 
now  pays  ready  money  (as  I  am  informed)  for  greatest  part  of 
the  Iron  It  has  from  Sweden 

I  am  informed  that  w^hen  the  Dutch  were  in  possession  of  this 
Collony  they  sett  up  a  Pottash  work  at  vast  expence  but  found  it 
wo'd  not  answer,  about  twenty  five  years  agoe  it  was  attempted 
here  again  at  the  expense  of  a  Gentleman  in  London  but  dropt 
for  the  same  reason,  and  a  like  essay  is  lately  set  on  foot  in  Jersey; 
which  it  is  feared  will  be  attended  with  the  same  fate. 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW- YORK. 


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726 


TRADE  AND  MANU  ACTURV:^  OF 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW- YORK. 


727 


NEW  YORK  IN  AMERICA. 

THE  REFERRED  QUERIES  FROM  THE  LORDS  OF  TRADE  AND  PLANTA- 
TIONS ;  AND  THE  REQUIRED  ANSWER  FROM  THE  BOOKS  OF  REPORTS 
AND  ENTRIES  IN  THE  CUSTOM  HOUSE  AT  ITS  PORT  BY  DIRECTION 
OF  THE  GOyr  OF  THIS  HIS  MAJESTY's  PROVINCE.  1749. 

[Lond.  Doc.  XXIX.] 

Qre.  What  is  the  Trade  of  the  Province,  the  Number  of 
Shiping,  their  Tonage  and  the  number  of  Seafaring  Men  with  the 
respective  Increase  or  Diminution  within  the  years  past  1  What 
Quantity  and  Sorts  of  British  Manufactures  do  the  Inhabitants 
Annually  take  from  hence  ?  What  trade  has  the  Province  with 
any  Foreign  Plantations  or  any  part  of  Europe  besides  Great 
Britain  ?  How  is  that  Trade  caryed  on  '?  What  Commodities  do 
the  People  send  to  and  receive  from  Foreign  Plantations  ?  What 
methods  are  there  used  to  prevent  Illegal  Trade  and  are  the  same 
effectual  1 

Ansr.  The  Inward  Trading  in  General  is  from  Great  Britain, 
European  Goods,  &  those  India  with  Silk  Manufactures  chiefly. 
From  Ireland  Linnen  and  Canvas  Manufarturies  certified  duly. 
From  British  Colonies,  enumerated  Commodities,  Piemento, 
Sul[>hur,  Strawplating,  Lime  juice,  Colfee  growth  thereof.  Hides, 
Deer  Skins,  Conch  Shells,  Mahogonie,  Plank,  Ebonie,  &  Negros. 
From  Europe  and  Africa,  besides  from  English  Foreign  Settle- 
ments in  America,  Salt.  From  the  African  Coast  within  the 
proper  limits  Directed,  Negros  :  now  less  than  formerly.  From 
the  Northern  &  Southern  parts  of  this  Continent  ;  Fish,  Oil, 
Bluber,  Whale  fins.  Turpentine  oil.  Seal  Skins,  Hops,  Cyder, 
Flax,  Bricks,  Cole,  Lamp  Black,  certain  wrought  Iron,  Tin  & 
Braziery,  Joinery,  various  Carriages  and  Chairs.  From  Planta- 
tions not  under  his  May^  Dominions,  Molasses,  Sugar,  &  Rum  in 
no  great  Quantitys,  since  the  Act  imposing  the  new  Dutys  thereon, 
Lign.  Vitse,  Drugs,  Logwood  and  other  Dying  Wood,  Indico, 
Cocoa  Nutts,  Cotton  Wool,  Snuff  &ca.  And  the  Outward  is  to 
London  and  its  Outports,  the  latter  more  seldom,  Naval  Stores, 
Copper  Ore,  Furs  and  other  the  enumerated  species,  with  the 


728 


TKADK  AHiD  xMANO  FACTURES  OF 


legal  Import  of  divers  Mercantile  Wares,  Plantation  Iron,  Oil, 
Spermaceti,  Whale  Fins,  Lime  Juice,  Shruflf,  [snufF  ?]  Myrtle 
Candles,  Mahogany  &  W.  Inut  planks,  Reeds  &  Drugs.  To 
Ireland  Flax  Seed,  Rum,  Sugar,  being  Prise  effects,  and  Staves. 
■To  sevi  Parts  in  Europe,  Grain,  Hides,  Deer  &  Elk  Skins,  Ox 
Horns,  Sarsaperila,  Indico,  Logwood,  Cocoa  Nutts  &ca.  And 
Foreign  Produce  t  Lumber,  Moreover  Argent  Vivum,  Coffee, 
Anatts,  Elephant's  Teeth,  Beewax,  Leather,  Sarsafrax,  Casia- 
fistula.  Wines  &  other  goods  as  Prise  effects  hitherto  brought  and 
in  the  Vice  admiralty  Courts  here  and  els  w^here  adjudicated  upon 
proper  certifying.  To  Madeira  &  the  Azorts,  Grain  and  other 
Provisions,  BeeWax  &  Staves.  To  English  Districts  North  & 
South  of  this  Continent  &  West  Indies,  Provisions,  Chocolate, 
Lumber  European  &  India  Goods  with  those  enumerated  in  the 
Plantation  Trade  Acts,  and  such  other  Imported  here  for  Convey- 
ance home  regularly  To  neutral  Ports  as  Curacoa,  Suranhaim,  & 
Saint  Thomas;  Provisions,  Lumber,  Horses,  Sheep,  and  other 
live  Stock  with  their  Provender.  All  which  are  particularized  as 
to  the  Quantitys  and  Qualitys  in  tlu  Quarterly  Lists  of  Vessells : 
the  due  transmitting  whereof  to  their  honours  the  Commissioners 
of  the  Customs  from  the  offices  hereat ;  thereby  may  appear  within 
the  Queries  signifyed  time  what  the  Increase  or  Diminution 
respectively  differenceth ;  Therefore  upon  comparing  which  it  'I 
be  thus  considerate,  that  the  first  is  somewhat  more  than  the  other. 
As  to  the  Shipping  which  at  present  belong  here,  the  Number 
whereof  is  157,  the  tons  for  registry  6406  &  Navigated  with  1228 
men  of  Sea  Employ,  and  for  the  preventive  method  of  which 
happening  illicite  here,  such  prescribed  in  the  principal  Laws  and 
aptly  made  use  of,  whereby  to  effect  the  same  as  contrary  thereto; 
so  that  upon  any  Breach  carefully  inquired  after  by  the  Deputed 
Officers,  process  is  issued  against  the  like  in  the  Vice  Admiralty, 
or  sometimes  in  the  Courts  of  Record  holden  hereat,  for  recovery 
of  the  subjected  Penalty  on  the  Committed  fraud  &  abuse. 

Qre.  What  is  the  natural  produce  of  the  Country,  Staple  Com- 
modities and  Manufacture,  and  what  Value  thereof  in  Sterling 
Money  may  you  actually  export  ? 

*^nsr.  The  production  and  Manufacture  is  that  the  people  iji 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW- YORK. 


729 


the  Country  here  for  many  years  &  yet  have  their  home  spun,  so 
termed,  of  Flax  and  Wool  to  supply  themselves  somewhat  with 
necessaries  of  Cloathing  &c.  That  for  thirty  four  years  or  there- 
abouts, have  been  raised  Linseed  &  miPd  into  Oil,  Hats,  made 
of  beaver  Furs,  their  Exportation  prohibited  by  the  act  from 
Michaelmas  1730,  also  the  working  of  Lampblack.  That  for 
nineteen  years,  Sugar  baking  and  its  refining  in  order  to  consump- 
tion here  &  transportation  for  other  Districts  on  the  Continent  & 
the  West  Indies  upon  regular  certificate  ;  And  Erecting  Six  houses 
latterly  that  rum  and  other  Spirits  may  theirein  Distillable.  That 
in  the  said  Province  are  Mines  of  Lead  &  Iron  ores ;  the  Manu- 
facturing of  which  hath  been  of  late  proposed  ;  likewise  Hemp 
raised ;  And  that  besides  there  are  Grain  of  all  kinds  &  other 
Provisions  with  Tobacco,  a  small  quantity  out  of  soil  naturally 
productive  :  Yet  such  with  the  like  hither  brought  from  the 
Western  &  Eastern  parts  of  this  Continent  being  Vendible  abroad 
cannot  be  distinguished  as  to  ascertain  the  Prices  of  Annual 
Export,  neither  could  be  practicable  if  from  the  seperated 
Exportness,  because  their  current  value  according  to  the  Markets 
in  their  respective  Species  vary. 

G  Clinton. 

New  York  23<i  May,  1749. 


GOVERNOR  CLINTON'S  CERTIFICATE  ABOUT  IRON  ROLLING 
MILLS,  &c.,  1750. 

'  [Lond.  Doc.  XXIX.] 

By  His  Excellency  Honble  George  Clinton  Captain  General, 
and  Governor  in  Chief  of  the  Province  of  New  York  and  terri- 
tories thereon  depending  in  America,  Vice  Admiral  of  the  samfe 
land  Admiral  of  the  White  Squadron  of  His  Majesty's  Fleet. 

In  Obedience  to  an  Act  of  Parliament,  Entitled,  "  An  Act  to 
i Encourage  the  Importation  of  Pig  and  Bar  Iron  from  His  Colonies 
in  America;  and  to  prevent  the  erection  of  any  Mill  or  other 
Engine  for  Slitting  or  Rolling  of  Iron  ;  or  any  plating  Forge  to 
work  with  a  Felt  Hammer,  or  any  Furnace  for  making  Steel  in 


730 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  OF 


any  of  the  said  Colonies"  passed  in  the  twenty  third  year  of  His 
Majesty's  Reign  His  said  Excellency  doth  hereby  certify,  that 
there  is  erected  within  the  said  Province,  in  the  County  of  Orange, 
I  at  a  place  called  Wawaganda,  about  twenty  six  miles  from  Hud- 
sons  River,  one  plateing  Forge  to  work  with  a  Tilt  Hammer,  which 
belongs  to  Lawrance  Scrauley  of  the  said  County  a  Blacksmith ; 
has  been  built  about  four  or  five  years,  and  is  not  at  present  made 
use.  And  further  that  there  are  not  erected  in  his  said  Excellen- 
cy's Government,  any  other  or  more  plateing  Forges,  to  work 
with  a  Tilt  Hammer  or  any  Mill  or  xMills,  or  other  Engine  for 
Slitting  or  Rolling  of  Iron,  or  any  Furnace  or  Furnaces  for  mak- 
ing Steel.  In  Testimony,  whereof  his  said  Excellency  hath  sub- 
scribed these  Presents,  and  caused  the  Great  Seal  of  the  Province 
of  New  York  to  be  hereunto  affixed.  At  Fort  George  in  the 
city  of  New  York  the  fourteenth  day  of  December  in  the  year  of 
Our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  Hundred  and  Fifty,  and  in  the 
seventy  fourth  year  of  His  Majesty s  Reign. 

G.  Clinton. 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  IRON  MADE  AT  ANCRAM, 

IN  THR  MANOUR  OF  LIVINGSTON,   BY   ROB*   LIVINGSTON  JUN""  ESQ''. 
[Lond.  Doc.  XXXI 7.] 


MADE  INTO  BARS. 


Year. 

T 

c 

qrs. 

lbs. 

T 

c 

Castings. 

1750.... 

43 

3 

3 

13 

195 

15 

5 

2 

3 

7 

1751.... 

606 

6 

3 

17 

164 

12 

6 

1 

2 

1752 .... 

354 

7 

3 

0 

183 

14 

3 

2 

1 

14 

1753.... 

22 

9 

2 

0 

215 

6 

2 

3 

0 

21 

1754 .... 

211 

5 

4 

2 

2 

1755 .... 

722 

2 

3 

*6 

149 

16 

36 

2 

3 

'7 

1756 .... 

267 

14 

0 

14 

182 

0 

10 

0 

0 

0 

2016 

4 

3 

16 

1302 

8 

66 

15 

0 

21 

1302 

8 

0 

0 

P 

r  DiRCK  Jansen, 

Total 

3318 

12 

3 

16 

More  keeper. 

THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW-YORK. 


731 


JAMES  DE  LANCEY  TO  BOARD  OF  TEADE. 

New  York  1st  December  1757. 

My  Lords — I  had  the  honour  of  your  Lordships  letter  of  the 
of  June  directing  me  forthwith  upon  the  receipt  thereof  to 
take  the  most  effectual  method  for  obtaining  an  account  of  the 
quantity  of  Iron  made  in  this  Province  from  the  year  1749  to  the 
5t*»  of  January  1756.  I  accordingly  wrote  to  Mr.  Robert  Living- 
stone who  has  the  only  Iron  work  in  this  Province  which  is  carried 
on  &  I  send  your  Lordships  enclosed  the  account  I  received  from 
him  as  soon  as  it  came  to  m^  hands.  This  Country  abounds  in 
Iron  ore  especially  in  the  Highlands,  &  several  works  have  been 
begun  but  were  dropt  through  the  mismanagement  or  inability  of 
the  undertakers;  of  these  there  were  two  Furnaces  in  the  Mannor 
of  Cortland  &  several  Bloomeries;  but  they  have  not  been  w^orked 
for  several  years  past;  it  is  probable  after  the  war  upon  the  En- 
couragement the  Parliament  of  Great  Britain  are  giving  the  Colo- 
nies in  this  Article  these  &  several  others  will  be  carried  on  in 
this  Province. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Your  Lordship's 

most  obed*  &  most  humble  servt 

James  De  Lancy. 

Right  Honorable  Lords  Commissioners  of  Trade. 


[Council  Min.  XXIII.] 

At  a  Council  held  at  Fort  George  in  the  city  of  New  York, 

Wednesday,  27th  May  1761. 
The  Petition  of  William  Hawkshurst  praying  a  Grant  for  the 
sole  making  of  Anchors  and  Anvills  within  this  Province  for  the 
Term  of  Thirty  years,  or  such  other  Term,  and  under  such  Regu- 
lations as  shall  be  thought  meet,  was  presented  to  the  Board,  and 
being  read  was  rejected. 


732 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  OF 


CIRCULAR. 

THE  BOARD  OF  TRADE  TO  ALL  THE  GOVERNORS  ON  THE  CONTINENT 

OF  AMERICA. 

[Lond.  Doc.  XXXIX.] 

Whitehall  August  1.  1766. 

In  pursuance  of  an  Address  of  the  House  of  Commons  to  His 
Majesty  on  the  27*^  March  last,  and  of  His  Majesty's  Commands 
thereupon,  signified  to  us  by  his  Grace  the  Duke  of  Richmond, 
in  a  letter  to  us  dated  the  ultimo,  you  are  forthwith  to  pre- 
pare, and  as  soon  as  possible  transmit  to  us,  in  order  to  be  laid 
before  the  House  of  Commons  in  the  next  Session,  a  particular 
and  exact  Account  of  the  several  manufactures  which  have  been 
set  up  and  carried  on  within  the  Colony  under  your  Government 
since  the  year  1734  and  of  the  Public  Encouragement  which 
have  been  given  thereto. 

You  are  also  from  time  to  time  Annually  to  transmit  the  like 
Account  of  any  Manufactures  which  shall  be  hereafter  set  up,  and 
of  the  Public  Encouragement  which  have  been  given  thereto. 
We  are  &c. 

Dartmouth. 
Ed.  Elliot. 
John  Roberts. 
Wm.  Fitzherbert. 
Palmerston. 


[Council  Min.  XXVI.] 

At  a  Council  held  at  Fort  George  in  the  City  of  New  York 
on  Friday  the  7th  day  Nov^  1766. 

Present — His  Excellency  Sir  Henry  Moore  Baronet,  Capt.  Genl  &c 
Mr  Horsmanden       M^  Read  M'  Apthorpe 

Mr  Smith  M'  Morris. 

His  Excellency  communicated  to  the  Council  a  Letter  to  him 
of  the  1st  of  August  from  the  Right  Honble  the  Lords  Commis- 
sioners for  Trade  &  Plantations  requiring  his  Excellency,  in  pur- 
suance of  the  Address  of  the  House  of  Commons  to  his  Majesty 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW  YORK. 


733 


on  the  27  March  last,  and  of  his  Majesty's  Commands  thereupon, 
forthwith  to  prepare  and  transmit  to  their  Lordships,  in  order  to 
be  laid  before  the  House  of  Commons,  at  their  next  Sessions,  a 
particular  and  exact  Account  of  the  Several  Manufactures  &c.  \^Ms 
in  the  preceding  Letter.] 

The  Council  declared,  that  no  manufactures  had  been  set  up 
within  this  Colony  since  that  Period,  or  received  any  public  en- 
couragement ;  nor  did  they  know  of  any  Manufacture  of  Wool 
or  Woolen  Cloth,  but  what  was  principally  confined  to  private 
Families,  for  their  own  particular  Consumption. 


GOV.  MOORE  TO  THE  LORDS  OF  TRADE. 

[Lond.  Doc.  XL.] 

Fort  George,  New  York,  12  Jany  1767' 

My  Lords — Having  rec<^  your  Lordships'  commands  in  a  letter 
dated  the  first  of  August  last,  in  which  I  was  directed  to  prepare 
and  transmit  as  soon  as  possible  an  account  of  the  Several  Manu- 
factures Set  up  and  carried  on  within  this  Colony  since  the  year 
1734,  1  took  the  liberty  of  giving  M-  Peter  Hasenclaver  a  Letter 
of  Introduction  to  your  Lordships  as  he  was  then  ready  to  sail 
for  England,  imagining  that  from  his  Character  and  Knowledge 
of  the  Country  a  more  perfect  Account  might  be  obtained  from 
him  of  what  was  required  in  the  beforementioned  Letter,  than  I 
could  possibly  give  by  that  opportunity.  I  have  since  made  all 
the  Inquiries  I  could,  and  the  whole  of  the  Information  given  to 
me  may  be  reduced  to  the  following  Heads. 

There  is  a  Small  Manufactory  of  Linen  in  this  City  under  the 
Conduct  of  one  Wells,  and  supported  chiefly  by  the  Subscriptions 
of  a  set  of  men  who  call  themselves  the  Society  of  Arts  and 
Agriculture.  No  more  than  fourteen  Looms  are  employed  in  it, 
and  it  was  established  in  order  to  give  Bread  to  several  poor  fam- 
ilies which  were  a  considerable  charge  to  the  city  and  are  now 
comfortably  supported  by  their  own  daily  Labour  in  Spinning  of 
Flax.  It  does  not  appear  that  there  is  any  established  Fabric  of 
Broad  Cloth  here ;  and  some  poor  Weavers  from  Yorkshire,  who 


734 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  OF 


came  over  lately  in  expectation  of  being  engaged  to  m^ke  Brond 
Cloths  could  find  no  Employment.  But  there  is  a  general  Man- 
ufactory of  Woolen  carried  on  here  and  consists  of  two  «orts, 
the  first  a  coarse  cloth  entirely  woollen  |  of  a  yard  wide  ;  and 

I another  a  stuff  which  they  call  Linsey  Woolsey.  The  Warp  of 
this  is  Linen,  and  the  Woof  Woollen,  and  a  very  small  quantity 
of  it  is  ever  sent  to  market.  Last  year  w^hen  the  Riots  and  Dis- 
orders here  were  at  their  height  on  the  occasion  of  the  Stamp 
[  Act,  these  manufactures  were  greatly  boasted  of,  and  the  Quantity 
then  made  greatly  magnified  by  those,  who  were  desirous  of  dis- 
tinguishing themselves  as  American  Patriots,  and  would  wear 
nothing  else  ;  They  were  sometimes  sold  for  three  times  their 
value  ;  but  the  manufacterers  themselves  shewed  that  they  had 
more  good  sense  than  the  persons  who  employed  them  ;  for  they 
never  cloathed  themselves  with  the  work  of  their  own  hands,  but 
readily  brought  it  to  market,  and  selling  it  an  extravagant  price 
there,  bought  English  Cloth  for  themselves  and  their  families. 
The  Custom  of  making  these  Course  Cloths  in  private  families  pre- 
vails throughout  the  whole  province,  and  almost  in  every  House 
a  sufficient  quantity  is  manufactured  for  the  use  of  the  Family, 
without  the  least  design  of  sending  any  of  it  to  market.  This  I 
had  an  opportunity  of  Seeing  in  the  late  Tour  I  made,  and  had 
the  same  Accounts  given  me  by  all  those  persons  of  whom  I  made 
any  inquiry,  for  every  house  swarms  with  children,  who  are  set 
to  work  as  soon  as  they  are  able  to  Spin  and  Card,  and  as  every 
family  is  furnished  with  a  Loom,  ihe  Itinerant  Weavers  who  travel 
about  the  Country,  put  the  finishing  hand  to  the  Work. 

There  is  a  Manufactory  of  Hats  in  this  City,  which  is  very 
considerable;  for  the  Hats  are  not  so  good  as  those  made  in 
England,  and  are  infinitely  dearer.  Under  such  Disadvantages  as 
these  it  is  easy  to  imagine  with  what  difficulty  it  is  supported,  & 
how  short  the  duration  of  it  is  like  to  be ;  the  Price  of  Labour  is 
so  great  in  this  part  of  the  World,  that  it  will  always  prove  the 
greatest  obstacle  to  any  Manufactures  attempted  to  be  set  up  here, 
and  the  genius  of  the  People  in  a  Country  where  every  one  can 
have  Land  to  w^ork  upon  leads  them  so  naturally  into  Agriculture, 
that  it  prevails  over  every  other  occupation.    There  can  be  no 


THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW- YORK. 


735 


stronger  Instances  of  this,  than  in  the  Servants  imported  from 
Europe  of  different  Trades ;  as  soon  as  the  time  stipulated  in  their 
Indentures  is  Expired,  they  immediately  quit  their  masters,  and 
get  a  small  tract  of  Land,  in  settling  which  for  the  first  three  or 
four  years  they  lead  miserable  lives,  and  in  the  most  abject 
Poverty ;  but  all  this  is  patiently  borne  and  submitted  to  with 
the  greatest  cheerfulness,  the  satisfaction  of  being  Landholders 
smooths  every  difficulty,  &  makes  them  prefer  this  manner  of 
living  to  that  comfortable  subsistence  which  they  could  procure 
for  themselves  and  their  families  by  working  at  the  Trades  in 
which  they  were  brought  up. 

The  Master  of  a  Glass-house  ;  which  was  set  up  here  a  few 
years  ago  now  a  Bankrupt,  assured  me  that  his  ruin  was  owing 
to  no  other  cause  than  being  deserted  in  this  manner  by  the  Ser- 
vants, which  he  had  Imported  at  a  great  expence  ;  and  that  many 
others  had  suffered  and  been  reduced  as  he  was,  by  the  same  kind 
of  misfortune. 

The  little  Foundry  lately  set  up  near  this  Town  for  making 
Small  Iron  Potts  is  under  the  direction  of  a  few  private  persons, 
and  as  yet  very  inconsiderable. 

As  to  the  Foundaries  which  Mr  Hasenclaver  has  set  up  in  the 
different  parts  of  this  Country,  I  do  not  mention  them,  as  he  will 
be  able  to  give  your  Lordships  a  full  account  of  them  and  of  the 
progress  he  has  already  made ;  I  can  only  say  that  I  think  this 
Province  is  under  very  great  obligations  to  him  for  the  large  sums 
of  money  he  has  laid  out  here  in  promoting  the  Cultivation  of 
Hemp,  and  introducing  the  valuable  Manufacture  of  Iron  and  Pot 
Ash. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  &c.  H.  Moore. 


GOV.  MOOEE  TO  LORD  HILLSBOROUGH. 

[Lond.  Doc.  XLI.] 

Fort  George,  New  York,  7  May.  1768. 

My  Lord — I  have  the  honour  to  transmit  to  your  Lordship  the 
copy  of  a  letter  I  wrote  in  the  beginning  of  the  last  year  to  the 
Lords  Commissioners  for  Trade  &  Plantations,  in  answer  to  a 


7B6 


TRADE  AND  MANUFACTURES  OF,  ETC. 


letter  I  received  from  their  Lordships  in  consequence  of  the 
Address  of  the  House  of  Commons  to  His  Majesty  concerning  the 
Manufactures  olf  this  Country,  dated  March  27*^1  1766.  Another 
copy  of  this  Address  has  been  inclosed  to  me  in  your  Lordships 
Letter  marked       3,  to  which  I  must  make  the  same  answer,  as 
the  Progress  of  Manufactures  in  this  part  of  the  world  by  no 
means  corresponds  with  the  pompous  accounts  given  of  them  in 
the  public  papers.  ..... 

No  mention  is  made  in  the  former  Letter  of  the  great  quantities 
of  Leather  being  tanned  in  this  Country,  as  this  branch  of  business 
has  been  carried  on  for  many  years  ;  the  leather  is  greatly  inferior 
in  quality  to  that  made  in  Europe  ;  and  they  are  not  yet  arrived 
to  the  perfection  of  making  Sole-leather.  Your  Lordship  maybe 
assured  that  I  shall,  from  time  to  time,  give  every  due  information 
required  in  this  Address,  and  be  particularly  attentive  to  any  new 
Establishments  of  which  we  have  no  instances  since  my  last  letter, 
except  in  the  paper-Mill  begun  to  be  erected  within  these  few 
days,  at  a  small  distance  from  the  Town. 

I  am  &c.  H.  MooRE. 


